speaking of high mpg autos....

Does anyone remember the Chevy Sprint? It was a 1 litre three cylinder car
made by Suzuki. I bought one new in 1987 and drove it for 150,000 miles

before I sold it to a buddy. EPA rated @ 50 mpg. ......and it got every bit
of that. Made a co-workers Justy seem like a RoadMaster. Smooth shifting and
nimble, it was fun to own and drive, and felt more spirited than it probably
was. As a three door hatchback with a robust roof rack it could haul almost
anything ( I bet mine looked like a thirdworld railroad car much of the
time).......it sacrificed a lot for efficiency, but really, we expect so
mamy features today from our cars that add comfort, safety.....and weight.
If I recall it weighed in at 1600 lbs and had 54 HP.....bring it back (with
airbags) !
My bro' had a diesel rabbit that was quite miserly as well...can you say
slow though.... made his old suburu (D10?) seem fast..
hi mpg is not new !

Amen on old cars that got good mileage. I subscribe to the Smart Car
newsgroup and was in line for one until I was shocked to find out that the
1700 pound car with a 1 liter engine was only giving people 34-38 mpg on the
highway! Some are only getting 26 mpg! Since they were previously driving
OPEC pickups and SUV's, many are content with that mileage, but many are up
in arms. Also, the wait is now up to 18 to 24 months for a car. Who knows
what it will even be in 2 years? I tell them that my 2002 Civic got 42 mpg
and they think I'm a nutcase.... Weeeeelllll.

When we went to Ireland five years ago and rented a car, it was a Citroen
C-3, a tiny (on the outside) little four door which seemed very commodious
inside, and got consistently over 40 mpg.... And it flew down the main
highways with the best of 'em.
My wife fell in love with it and was halfway serious about trying to import
one ....to California!
I had to give her the same advice that Click and Clack give their
listeners..."You should never own a French car, unless you live in France."

The Smart Car seems pretty dumb, actually. You can get the same mileage
in an Accent, Elantra or any number of other cars that are much more
practical for the average person/family who needs to carry more than
just themselves. Add to that the fact that it's hideously overpriced and
about the only reasons to buy one are easier parking and the novelty value.

Don't discount the importance of the parking factor in Europe. In Italy this
fall we saw plenty of Smart Cars parked in spots that were much to small for
any other cars on the road. A popular way to park was to back the Smart Car
into a small space sideways, with the rear bumper facing the curb. I think
it's size is one of it's biggest selling points.
Jon

Yea, Zeppo, we saw the same thing in France and England. Just back two of
them into one parking place. The other comment about overpriced was
probably based on the ones that were being imported and converted to US
standards by a company called Zap (I think). They are still selling these
up in the Northwest for $25,000 when you can order a new one for about
$13,000. I said ordered because you won't see it for 2
years..................

They have a dealership near me and they are pretty cute but for what
they are asking and the terrible crash test results, forget it. It
might as well be a cardboard box with wheels.
- Thee Chicago Wolf

I just went to safecar.gov and they have not tested the 2008 Smart Car
yet.................... I read that it is expected to get a 4 star rating
which is darn good considering its size. That's as good as a Chevy Colorado
pickup, for one.
I hope you are not basing your comment on that old youtube video.

Not as dumb as you think. I drove a Smart ForFour in Italy for about 1200
miles and it was a nifty, well equipped car. I averaged 42 mpg for the trip,
both city and highway driving. No, it is not what I want for my every day
highway driver, but if I lived in New York or Boston or the like, I'd
certainly consider one just for the ability to find parking.

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